


Blind Trust

by Yamx



Series: Those We Love the Best [14]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Backstory: Jack Harkness, Bondage, Consensual Kink, Explicit Sexual Content, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-11
Updated: 2010-01-11
Packaged: 2017-10-21 13:46:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/225858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yamx/pseuds/Yamx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When old wounds are reopened, Jack need his lovers' help to get past the memories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blind Trust

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Canaan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canaan/gifts), [Poetry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poetry/gifts).



> **Betas:** Canaan, [Wendymr](http://wendymr.livejournal.com/) & [Kae_nine](http://kae-nine.livejournal.com) \- Thank you so much, guys!  
> 

The Doctor fastens the heavy leather cuffs around Jack's wrists – nice and snug, just the way the lad likes it. They got these cuffs, padded with a thick layer of black velvet, specifically because Jack wanted something that could be fastened very tightly and still be safe and comfortable. Still, he checks Jack's circulation, just to make sure.

He looks over to Rose, who's fastening a second pair of cuffs on Jack's ankles, then lets his gaze wander slowly up Jack's prone body, lingering for a moment on Jack's cock, which is already beginning to harden. When his gaze reaches Jack's face, the Captain winks at him cheekily.

The Doctor rolls his eyes at Jack, and nips his neck playfully. "All right?"

Jack nods. "Great so far, but – wasn't I promised a special surprise tonight?" His grin turns into a moan when Rose ever so slowly checks the tightness of the ankle cuffs – with her tongue.

The Doctor grins. "So you were. Bought a little somethin' I think you'll find interesting." He leans over the side of the bed and fishes for the small box he stashed underneath it this afternoon. Very slowly, conscious of Jack's eyes following his every move, he takes off the lid, then removes two layers of wrapping paper. Finally, he pulls out a heavy blindfold – made from several layers of thick Purgatian silk, pitch-black, and large enough to cover part of the forehead and cheeks as well, leaving the wearer in total darkness, not a speck of light coming through. He holds it up and looks at Jack, grinning teasingly – and then he freezes.

Jack is staring at the blindfold, his eyes wide, his breathing irregular. On instinct, the Doctor extends his hands towards him – and Jack shrinks back, hunching his shoulders.

"No," he says, and his voice is so small and frightened it goes right through the Doctor's hearts.

Rose is staring up at him, eyes wide. He does the only thing that makes sense – throws the blindfold under the bed and leans back to give Jack space.

"Jack?" he asks carefully, making his voice steady and soothing. Jack's eyes are shifting from one corner to the other, looking anywhere except at him and Rose.

"Want us to untie you?" Rose suggests, her hands already reaching for the buckles. But Jack shakes his head.

"No! No, really, it's fine. Just give me a minute." He's visibly trying to relax his tense muscles.

Very slowly, the Doctor lays a hand on Jack's thigh, rubbing gently. "But no blindfolds?"

Jack shakes his head emphatically, still not looking at them. "No blindfolds."

Rose shifts up the bed and presses a kiss to Jack's lips. She's frowning in confusion. "You're fine with cuffs, floggers, and electrodes, but blindfolds bother you?" Her tone isn't accusatory, just disbelieving, but it's the wrong thing to say right now. Jack looks away, shame in his eyes.

"Rose," the Doctor admonishes, his tone just sharp enough to let them both know he means it. "He doesn’t have to justify it."

Rose looks from him to Jack, eyes wide. "Course not! Sorry, Jack, didn't mean it like that. Just…" She shrugs, now looking ashamed herself. "I'm sorry."

Jack shakes his head, looking up at her again. "Nah, it's okay. I get it. This must seem pretty incongruous." He sighs. "Guess you guys want an explanation."

The Doctor gently turns Jack's chin to make the lad look at him. "Only if you want to give it. Otherwise, 'no' is good enough for us."

Rose nods, biting her lip.

Jack sighs. "Yeah. I mean… it's not that I don't trust you, I swear."

Rose smiles and carefully tugs on the cuff. "Obviously not."

Jack chuckles at that.

"You sure you don't want these off while we talk?" the Doctor asks again.

"Nah. This is good." Jack's eyes wander to the cuffs on his wrists and ankles, the ropes securing them to the bed. He seems almost reassured to see them. "Just… hold me?" he adds after a moment.

Rose lies down next to Jack and rests her head on his shoulder, putting a hand just above his navel. The Doctor lies on Jack's other side. He rest his chin on Jack's head. Jack'd never admit it, but this always makes the lad feel safe. It's a bit awkward with the restraints, since Jack's arm is now lying across the Doctor's neck and the lad's shoulder is half-resting on him, but that's all right. The main thing is that they have lots of skin contact. He knows how much that means to Jack. He rests his free arm across Jack's chest.

Jack takes a deep breath. "It was back when I was a Time Agent. In my second – no, third year of service. Reconnaissance mission on Franguli Prime." He tenses at the name. "I… I was a stupid, cocksure, rash little idiot, and I got myself captured."

The Doctor takes in a sharp breath. The Frangwu are known for the way they treat their prisoners. If even half the stories are true, Jack's lucky to be alive.

Jack presses his cheek closer to the Doctor's chest for a moment. "You've heard the stories, then." He turns to drop a kiss on Rose's hair. "The Frangwu are not nice people."

Rose just nods, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"I woke up in a tiny cell, my whole body hurting. The entire time I was imprisoned, I never got out of that cell. And almost every day, I'd be… interrogated. The Frangwu used all kinds of… things." He can feel Jack swallow.

The Doctor's not sure if Jack doesn’t want to discuss the details for his own sake or theirs. Maybe both. He tightens his hold on him, not saying a word. The lad just needs to get this out.

"I never knew what'd come next, where it'd hurt… or how much, or if-" Jack interrupts himself as a whimper escapes Rose. He kisses her forehead gently. The Doctor shudders at the thought that Jack would have been barely older than her when the Frangwu did that to him.

"That wasn't the worst part, though. The cell… it was completely dark. Pitch-black. Had been from the moment I first woke up. No light came in when the door opened, either. But the Frangwu were moving around with no problem, using… tools, handing each other things…"

The pieces fall into place. "An' you didn't know they have infrared vision."

Jack shakes his head, holding his breath. The Doctor can see confusion in Rose's eyes, but she doesn’t say anything.

"Infrared vision means they can see on a spectrum you humans can't. It's like their eyes have built-in heat goggles," the Doctor explains. "They can see in the dark."

Rose nods. "An' you didn't know-" she begins, and suddenly stops herself as she realizes what this means. Her mouth forms a perfect _o_ , and there's horror in her eyes. "You thought you were blind!"

Jack nods, and his breathing is very shallow. "Seemed like the only explanation. I thought the beating, or maybe one of the injections while I was still out…" A strangled sob that Rose silences with a deep, lingering kiss.

"How long?" the Doctor asks, not trusting his own voice with a longer utterance. He finally understands why the TARDIS will never turn the lights in Jack's room all the way off. He always found the weak gleam in the room irritating – a few times when the humans were asleep, he even tried to fix it, and cursed his poor ship impatiently when nothing he did would get the room completely dark. Now he mentally sends her an apology and a promise of lots of lubrication and sparklingly clean diode arrays.

Jack shrugs. "Never was quite sure. Six weeks. Eight. I got out in exchange for some captured Frangwu agents in the end."

"Jack," the Doctor begins, rubbing his hand soothingly up and down Jack's torso. "Why don't we just get you out of these, try to get some sleep? Don't think any of us are in the mood…"

Rose nods. "We can just hold you, yeah?"

But Jack shakes his head, his voice suddenly strong and determined. "Get the blindfold."

The Doctor sits up, looking at him questioningly.

"I… for god's sake, that was almost half my life ago. It has nothing to do with you two. This is stupid."

"'S not stupid!" Rose gets in before he can say anything. "What you went through… Course you wouldn't want to…"

Jack shakes his head again, talking faster now. "No. I've let this rule me long enough. I used to _like_ blindfolds, you know? The darker the better. And now a bandana can make me panic and a black-out blindfold makes me whimper like a baby." He looks at the Doctor, his eyes shining with trust and determination. "Help me get over this. Please."

The Doctor slowly looks from Jack to Rose. She's biting her lip, seeming uncertain. But there's trust in her eyes as she looks at him. She nods imperceptibly.

He looks at Jack sternly, but keeps his voice soft and reassuring. "You say your safeword at any point, an' we stop. _Nothing_ will happen that you don't want, all right?"

Jack nods. There's a slight twitch in his jaw, but his eyes never waver. "Do it."

The Doctor feels around under the bed. Stretching his arm, he can just reach a corner of the blindfold with his fingertips. He fishes it out and holds it up so Jack can see it. There's the merest hint of a flinch on Jack's face. "You can still say no," he reminds him.

Jack shakes his head. "No. I mean yes. I don't want to say no, I want you to do this. Just…" He looks at Rose. "Hold me again?"

She smiles and presses soft little kisses to Jack's lips, cheeks, and nipples. As his muscles visibly relax, she wraps her arms around his torso and looks at the Doctor expectantly.

*****

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes as the Doctor places the blindfold on his face, focusing all his senses on the feel of Rose's hand stroking his side, her breath on his neck, her heartbeat against his ribs. He can do this. And if not, he can stop it at any point. All he needs to do is say the word and they'll remove the blindfold. And even if he should panic to the point of being non-verbal – he wriggles closer to Rose to prevent himself from focusing on that idea – they'll read his body language and stop. He's with Rose and the Doctor, in their bedroom onboard the TARDIS. It's the safest place in the universe.

The Doctor's nimble fingers latch the buckle so it's tight but not uncomfortable. And he really can't see anything. Not the slightest pinprick of light. His mouth feels dry. Rose is rubbing firm little circles on his skin, projecting steadiness and reassurance.

The Doctor pulls one hand away, letting the other rest on Jack's cheek. "All right?"

He nods, not quite trusting his voice.

The Doctor strokes a thumb very gently along his jawline. "All right, lad, here's how it's going to be. We'll go slowly, an' Rose and I will tell you everything we're gonna do before we do it. There'll be no surprises." He feels Rose's nod against his chest.

The Doctor shifts back. He's not touching Jack now, but Rose's arms are still wrapped around him reassuringly.

"Right," the Doctor says. "I'm going to kiss you now." He doesn’t move for a beat, actually giving Jack a chance to object – as if he would. Then the Doctor's weight shifts forward – Jack feels his limbs stiffen despite his attempts to relax – and cool lips cover Jack's. Jack opens his mouth and pushes his tongue against them, demanding entry hungrily. The Doctor's mouth is soft and pliant against his, responding willingly to his every stroke and caress, but not pushing for anything. He's letting Jack control the kiss.

That's rare. They both have a tendency to be competitive when kissing each other - though they're gentle with Rose – and normally, Jack enjoys that. But right now, Jack relishes the feeling of power, and the message behind it – he's bound and blindfolded, but he is in control, and nothing will happen that he doesn’t want. He feels his muscles relax, his breath ease. He could kiss the Doctor for this, if he weren't already.

When he turns his head, the Doctor pulls back right away. "Still okay?" he asks, and Jack nods.

"Rose?" He turns his head towards hers, pushes out his lips – and she comes to him, kissing him every bit as gently and tenderly as the Doctor did, her hands never leaving his chest.

He can hear the Doctor's arousal in his voice, but the Time Lord seems to be holding completely still – at least Jack can't feel the bed move. "I'm going to kiss you all over now, Jack. Head to toe." Clearly, he was serious about going slowly. Jack is grateful, though the heat pooling in his groin almost makes him want to rush things along. He can feel his cock stirring.

Rose's weight shifts, then stops abruptly. "Jack – would you like me to… stroke your cock?" He can hear the awkwardness in her voice. It's not the action she minds, he knows – they've done that, and more, dozens of times. But for a woman from Rose's century, it's probably weird to say these things out loud, even if she's only too happy to do them.

Jack moans. "Please." But even though he wants this, he feels himself tense in anticipation of her touch. God, he's still on edge. A soft, warm hand closes around his cock, cradling it, and gently stroking up and down its length. Not being able to see makes him feel it so much more – every little caress, ever flick of a finger. He writhes with pleasure, almost forgetting the fear for a moment.

At the same time, cool lips are pressed all over his face – his forehead, his ears, his cheeks, even the fucking blindfold. Heat mingled with tenderness marks every touch. The lips wander to his neck, across his chest, linger briefly on each nipple. As they approach his abdomen Jack expects the Doctor to flick his tongue over the ticklish spot on Jack's lowest rib. He always does. Says he likes how it makes Jack squeal. But this time, the Time Lord carefully avoids the sensitive spot.

 _No surprises. Nothing that you don't want_ – even if it's as trivial as a quick tickle. Jack feels himself relax further.

"Gonna kiss the top of your cock now, while Rose is holding it," the Doctor says. The contrast between the matter-of-factness of the statement and the passion in the Doctor's voice makes Jack even more aroused. He thought he was hard before, but when the Doctor's lips touch his tip, he feels like his cock is straining for the ceiling. It's just a quick little kiss, but with his sense of touch heightened by arousal and the lack of sight, every nerve ending seems to vibrate with the gentle touch and the sensation rings through his entire body like a bronze bell.

"More… please…" he gasps out, then moans as the Doctor repeats the motion, lingering longer this time.

"Jack," Rose asks, "would you like me to take you into my mouth while the Doctor moves on with the kissin'?"

He nods, feeling only a flicker of nervousness, and takes a deep breath as her soft mouth closes around the head of his cock. He needs all his self-control to keep himself from thrusting upwards as she starts sliding her lips up and down his length.

The Doctor, meanwhile, is continuing his trail of kisses down Jack's legs, but Jack can tell from the angle of his lips that his eyes are glued on Rose, and there's a tremble of arousal in his body that Jack can feel through the mattress.

Rose's tongue is caressing and stroking the underside of Jack's cock in a way that's probably always this tender and warm and wonderful, but has never felt this amazing to him before. He manages a strangled "Rose, I'm gonna…" before his voice is lost in a moan. He can feel her lips smile around his shaft, but she makes no motion to move away. Instead, she ever so gently scrapes the edge of her teeth over his tip – and he's gone.

He comes in an explosion of feelings and colors, yelling out her name and not aware of anything but her soft mouth sucking, swallowing, and her tender tongue still stroking and caressing. She holds his cock gently, carefully licking the tip clean while he rides out his orgasm.

For a moment, he goes limp. He's drained. There's nothing left inside him. Vaguely, he hears the Doctor's voice, as if from a long way away. "Jack – I'm going to touch your throat for a moment." He feels cool fingers stroking over his veins, his trachea – checking his pulse and if his breathing's steady. He'd laugh if he wasn't so exhausted – the Doctor's making sure he's all right. Of course he is. How could he be anything else, here, with them? He knows part of it is probably just the endorphin high talking, but right now he feels like fear could never touch him while he's in their arms, and no blindfold could put the slightest scratch in his absolute faith in them.

When his brain starts functioning again to where he can remember how to control his tongue, he forestalls all question of whether he's okay by whispering "Shag me." He knows he's grinning like an idiot, and he thinks he's weeping a little, though the blindfold is absorbent enough that he's not sure if the moisture he feels are tears or just sweat.

He can hear an answering grin in the Doctor's voice. "Can do that." The Doctor's weight shifts and he hears the drawer of the bedside cabinet open. "I'm gonna use that nut oil you like, yeah?" He nods, and hears the Doctor unscrew the little jar. "Right. Puttin' it on me now."

"Here, let me help," Rose says with a giggle, and for the first time since the very beginning, Jack really wishes the blindfold wasn't there – but only because he's missing the show. Soft moans and the sound of lips meeting make him picture quite vividly what his lovers are doing, and the rich, sensual aroma of the nut oil goes straight to his cock. He's still too exhausted to get hard again, but heat is already gathering in his groin.

"Right," the Doctor says, his voice breathless. "Help me release his ankles." Jack feels nimble hands working on both cuffs, and they fall away in seconds. "Now hold him again."

Rose's weight shift up to his side, and she lies down, snuggling against his shoulder with a moan. Jack recognizes mingled arousal and frustration in it.

"Doctor, Rose needs-" he begins, but Rose interrupts.

"Hush. 'S not about what I need tonight. I can wait." It's her "don't argue with me now!" voice, and Jack can see the determined expression that goes with it even through the complete dark of the blindfold.

"Jack, pull up your legs. Gonna prep you now," the Doctor says. His voice is husky with arousal.

"I don't need much," he says, but does as instructed.

"I know. But we'll take it slow anyway tonight, yeah? Just to make sure." The Doctor's weight shifts to between Jack's legs.

"Well, if _you_ need that. I mean, you are getting on in years…" Jack says with a saucy grin. He can almost see the eye-roll, but the Doctor doesn’t react in any way Jack can perceive.

Jack flashes him a grin. "Doctor – when I say something like that, I fully expect to get smacked. It doesn’t count as a surprise or something I don't want if I'm pushing for it."

The Doctor snorts and swats Jack's arse, then cups the cheek in his cool hand gently. "You're a smartarse, you know that?"

Jack grins. "Yes. But I'm _your_ smartarse."

The Doctor's second hand cups the other side of his arse, rubbing tenderly, and there's a soft chuckle. "That you are, lad. That you are."

Rose is giggling into Jack's neck, and he drops a kiss on her cheek.

"Gonna start with the oil now, yeah?"

Jack nods distractedly, because Rose has turned up her face and he's kissing her deeply, breathing in her little moans of arousal and frustration.

He feels the Doctor's cool hands parting his cheeks and gently rubbing some oil around his anus. He squirms, breaking the kiss with Rose, and pushes into the touch.

The Doctor chuckles, and gently pulls back. "Slowly, lad." His finger circles Jack's opening in a movement half-caress and half-massage. It comes to rest right on his hole.

"Ready?" the Doctor asks, and apparently Jack's moan is all the reply he needs, because he pushes his finger in – slowly, gently, and Jack can't _believe_ the intensity of it. Never has he felt that much sensation from so little stimulation. He doesn't think even his very first time was this intense. Not being able to see, and not hearing anything beyond the blood rushing in his ears, his whole world becomes focused on this feeling, this sensation of the Doctor's finger inside him. It's cool and hot and unbearable and wonderful all at once. He squirms and pushes down as far as the restraints on his wrists will let him, gyrating his hips to feel more pressure, more pleasure, more _Doctor_.

The Doctor adds a second finger without asking first – Jack's movements made it more than obvious that he wanted it, of course. When the Doctor crooks his fingers and makes solid contact with his prostate, a strangled scream escapes him. This is too much, and at the same time not nearly enough. "Doctor… please! I'm ready, I swear I'm ready!" He realizes he's rock-hard again, and has no recollection of when that happened.

He can hear the grin in the Doctor's voice, but also the heat of the Time Lord's own arousal. "You definitely look it." Jack almost sobs in frustration as the fingers slip out of him, but then his legs are lifted onto the Doctor's shoulders, and he feels the cool tip of the Doctor's cock resting against his opening. "Going to push inside you now," he says, clearly fighting to keep his tone even.

Again, there's a brief pause to give him time. He takes a deep breath, whimpers. "Yes! Yes, please!"

He feels the Doctor pushing the head of his cock inside him and almost weeps from the intensity of it. Right now, he's convinced that this is the absolutely best thing he's ever, ever felt, though he's too overwhelmed to decide why – he just knows he needs more of it. Needs it now. He tries to push down again, pulling on the restraints in frustration.

Rose's hands cover his. "Shhh… don't struggle." It's safe with these restraints, of course, but she always worries he'll hurt himself.

"Rose…" he gasps. "Please… I want you, too." He takes a deep breath, fighting hard for coherence. "Want to taste you."

He can feel her and the Doctor exchange a glance. "All right," Rose says, and carefully positions herself over him. The Doctor is perfectly still inside him, which is both wonderful because it feels so good, and frustrating because he wants so much more. But he knows he's being given time to adjust to the double sensation.

Almost tentatively, he laps at Rose's clit. She moans and squirms on top of him, and he laughs with sheer joy. The feel of her folds against his tongue is just as amplified as the sensation in his arse, and her smell and taste, always wonderful, seem much richer and more intoxicating than ever before.

He continues his tender ministrations, and as he settles into a pace, the Doctor slowly begins to push further inside him. He moans to show his approval, and the air streaming over Rose's clit makes her gasp and slump forward. He thinks she must be supporting herself against the headboard.

The Doctor settles into a slow, steady rhythm. His hands are resting on Jack's hips, his thumbs stroking up and down tenderly, adding to the overwhelming pleasure and arousal that's flooding Jack's whole body. Too undone to think, he just feels, smells, tastes, riding the sensations like warm ocean waves.

When Rose comes with a scream, he has to use all the self-control he has left – not much, but just enough – to stop himself from following suit. He wants to feel the Doctor come inside him at the same time. The Time Lord's breath is coming in short gasps now, and he's picked up the pace.

When Rose slides off of Jack, draping her upper body over his, the Doctor adjusts the angle of his thrusts by a fraction, allowing himself to go just a little bit deeper.

Jack groans with pleasure. "More…" is all he can get out, and the Doctor understands. A few more thrusts – deeper, faster, harder – and they both climax, inarticulate moans that may be curses or may be each other's names on their lips.

*****

They lie still for a while, all tangled up in each other, nobody speaking or moving beyond the occasional moan or slight caress. Rose is the first to gather the energy to push herself up on her elbow. She looks at her lovers, drinking in the beautiful, spent and sweat-drenched forms.

"Want me to take that off now, Jack?" she asks, already reaching for the blindfold.

"No," he says, a soft little smile on his face, and she draws back her hand. "Not quite yet. Just want to… feel for a little longer."

The Doctor gets to his knees and takes a box of moist tissues from the bedside cabinet. He starts cleaning up himself and Jack – tenderly, but with sure movements. And, Rose notices, without asking before every touch. It's pretty clear that they've moved past the need for that.

Then the Time Lord wraps himself around both his lovers. "Can stay like this for a bit, but Jack, I want these restraints off you soon, yeah? Don't wanna start crampin'."

Jack shrugs. "Take 'em off, then. But I want to keep the blindfold a bit longer. Just to see…"

The Doctor nods, then apparently realizes that Jack can't see that and grunts an affirmative. He starts unbuckling the restraint on Jack's right, while Rose starts working on his left.

As the cuffs fall off, Jack wraps his arms around them and draws them close – as close as it is possible for three bodies to be and still be three separate bodies. "Thank you. Thank you both so much. This was…" His voice trails off, but his soft smile says it all.

Rose kisses his cheek. "Anytime."

The Doctor snorts. "Don't say that. Will take it literally, that one." He circles his thumb around Jack's nipple gently. "Not _any_ time. But again another time, if you want."

"I want," Jack says with a grin. "I really want."

Rose giggles. "I have to try this sometime, too. Never seen you so… undone."

"Hey, I'm not…" He pauses. "Yeah, okay, that's fair." He chuckles. "You wanna try it too, Doctor?"

"Might do. But not tonight."

Rose yawns. "Nah. Don't think any of us are up for more tonight." She pulls the blanket over herself and Jack. "Sleep now?"

The blokes nod.

Rose can feel her eyes starting to shut almost immediately. Jack's breathing's already becoming deep and regular. Even the Doctor seems to be nodding off.

But just as she's about to fall asleep, Rose sees him pushing himself up on one elbow and unlatching Jack's blindfold with his other hand. His face is tender, and he strokes Jack's cheek lovingly as he pushes the blindfold off him. Noticing her smiling, he shrugs. "Just makin' sure he doesn't wake up in the dark."

She's still smiling as her eyes drift shut.

*****

Hours later, the Doctor is lying awake, watching his humans sleep. The TARDIS has turned the lights down low but, the Doctor notes with approval, she still won't turn them off completely.

The Doctor's content. He doesn’t need nearly as much sleep as the humans do and will often get up while they're still asleep to read, tinker with the TARDIS, or work on one of his projects – but tonight, he prefers to just be here, feel their warmth, keep an eye on them. Especially Jack. The lad slept deeply for the first two hours, but now his breathing is becoming shallower, his pulse picking up. The Doctor's waiting.

He can't see Jack's face, since the other man is lying on his stomach, his head turned away from the Doctor, but he knows the precise moment Jack's eyes open from the shift in his breath. Jack lifts his head, looking around for a moment, seeming disoriented – and then his whole body stiffens. From the angle of Jack's head, the turn of his face, the Doctor finds it easy enough to guess what he's staring at – the blindfold, which is lying up against the headboard near Jack's head.

The Doctor shifts, making quite a bit more noise than necessary. He doesn’t want to startle the lad. He carefully places a hand on Jack's back, between his shoulder blades. There's a momentary shudder, but then Jack relaxes and arches into the touch. The Doctor rubs his hand up and down soothingly.

"All right?" he asks, keeping his voice low. Best not to wake Rose. There are things Jack will talk to him about that he wouldn't say in front of Rose. And vice-versa, of course, the Doctor acknowledges without worry. It's the nature of triads that they are about three relationships of two people as much as about one relationship of three.

Jack is still staring at the blindfold. He shrugs, and the Doctor feels the tension in Jack's muscles as they shift under his hand.

"Thought I was over it," Jack mumbles, resignation in his tone. "Guess not."

"Was a bit much to expect, don't you think?" He rubs at the knots in Jack's neck, keeping his touch firm and reassuring.

"Guess so." Jack's inflection gives away the self-blame.

The Doctor sighs. "Jack, roll over an' face me," he says – not exactly an order, but a tone that Jack won't argue with.

Jack turns. His eyes show a confused mixture of emotion – disappointment, anger, shame, and a deep and unsettled question.

The Doctor cups Jack's cheek in his hand. "The sex we had tonight – what was it like?" he asks quietly.

Jack's gaze becomes soft; his eyes shine. "It was fantastic."

"You still wanna do it again sometime?"

Jack nods.

"Then you've made real progress. Not five hours ago, the sight of that thing made you freeze an' whimper." He rubs his thumb over Jack's cheek to take the sting out of his words. "Did you really think one night of fantastic sex could wash away that kind of trauma?"

Jack's eyes turn thoughtful. His mouth curves into that self-ironic little smile that the Doctor always wants to kiss right off him. "Guess that was the endorphins talking, huh?"

The Doctor grins. "I'd say so." He shifts forward and claims Jack's lips. Breaking the kiss, he adds. "Will just have to let 'em talk to you 'bout this a bit more, eh? Take you a while, but you _will_ get over it."

Jack smiles and snuggles up to the Doctor. The Time Lords closes his arms tightly around him and tucks Jack's head under his chin. Jack's hand sneaks around and squeezes the Doctor's arse, lingering there.

The Doctor chuckles, taking the gesture as what it's meant as. "You're welcome," he mumbles into Jack's hair.

Jack falls asleep again, safely ensconced in the Doctor's embrace.

  


The End

**Author's Note:**

> Poetry's prompt: Something the trio is doing/is planning to do in bed triggers memories of past dub!con/non!con or other negative experiences for Jack. He wants to overcome it, so his partners help reassure him and work through it.


End file.
